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Chipotle is serving up more than burritos. In an unconventional
advertising scheme, the chain is releasing a four-part comedy
series on Hulu next month.

The series titled Farmed and
Dangerous promises to be a satirical take on
factory-farms, a topic that doesn’t immediately seem to lend
itself to humor. However, with romance, over-the-top villainy
and exploding cows, Chipotle aims for dark comedy packed into
four 30-minute episodes.

Chipotle will not plant direct references to the burrito chain in
Farmed and Dangerous, according to The New York Times. Instead, the
focus is on sustainable farming, allowing viewers to watch the
videos without feeling they are directly being sold a product.

Farmed and Dangerous represents an ambitious extension
of previous Chipotle marketing that prioritized promoting
sustainability over directly advertising for the burrito chain.
In 2013, the chain released a short animated
film featuring Fiona Apple singing a cover of “Pure
Imagination” from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate
Factory. The film, which follows a scarecrow who withdraws
from the factory farming system, only featured Chipotle's name
and logo in the closing seconds.

By spending on compelling advertising that places the premium on
sustainable farming, Chipotle has managed to make their brand
synonymous with environmentalism, even when the industry lacks firm
definitions of what constitutes “responsibly raised” or
“sustainable” meat.

Each episode of Farmed and Dangerous cost Chipotle
around $250,000, according to the Times. The show, which
stars television veteran Ray Wise, will be organized identically
to conventional television shows, including commercial breaks.

The series will appear on Hulu alongside more typical comedy
shows, with the majority of Hulu’s offerings reaped from network
television. The trend of “native advertising,” where brands can
create content that runs alongside article by news organizations,
has been increasingly accepted in the media world. However,
“Farmed and Dangerous” represents the most ambitious venture of a
brand into scripted television.

Will people tune in for a comedy series produced by a burrito
chain? With Chipotle’s two short films totaling 20 million views
on YouTube, the future of television may be – in part – in the
hands of brands.